


Episode Nine

by neonaeropostale



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Actors, F/M, First Kiss, Male-Female Friendship, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27362011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonaeropostale/pseuds/neonaeropostale
Summary: While filming the third season of Julie and the Phantoms, a now 18-year-old Madison Reyes has to face kissing her best friend at the end of Episode 9. Except there's one problem, she's never kissed anyone before.Basically, Madison is nervous about her first kiss and Charlie comforts her. AKA Charlie is Madison's first kiss.Disclaimer: This is a platonic Madison Reyes / Charlie Gillespie fanfic about a future situation they could face together. I went about it very carefully, so don't judge a book by its cover :)
Relationships: Charlie Gillespie & Madison Reyes, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 18
Kudos: 146





	1. Avoidance is Key

**Author's Note:**

> If you don't like it, don't read :) Simple as that.

In my 18 years of life, I'd never kissed anyone before. Tragic, I know. It wasn't as if I never talked to guys or went on dates, but nothing had ever come out of it. The closest I had gotten to having a boyfriend was last summer with a boy from my school. I was really hopeful about that one, but he couldn't handle a long-distance relationship. We had talked all summer, but after I left to film Julie and the Phantoms in Canada, he backed out. It took me a couple of months to get over him since I really liked him. But Owen, Jeremy, and Charlie helped me get through it. Rumor has it, there's a picture of said boy in Charlie's trailer mounted on to a heavily used dartboard.

After the second season was aired, the boys and I went on tour. Between touring and working on my debut album, there was no time for boyfriends. As a result, when the third season came around following my 18th birthday, I was faced with a unique challenge. This would be the season that Julie and Luke kissed, which meant that Charlie and I - I don't even want to think about it. My first kiss was quite literally about to be filmed in front of all of my friends and family.

I couldn't help but feel insurmountable dread about the whole situation. Whenever I thought about the last scene of the final episode of the season, I felt queasy. I wasn't sure which part I was dreading more: having to kiss one of my best friends or having my first kiss on camera. What if I was bad at it? What if I looked like a fool on camera? What if the fans hated it? I tried to push those negative thoughts out of my head as we began filming, but each episode seemed to hint at the inevitable kiss. It was as if the universe wouldn't let me forget that I would soon be embarrassing herself in front of the entire cast and crew, and worse, MY DAD.

I had successfully avoided talking to Charlie about the kiss for the first month of filming, and he seemed to feel the same way, both of us not wanting to make things awkward before it has to be. But as another month went by and our kissing scene was only a few weeks away, the unspoken conversation loomed heavily over us.

After many excuses of being tired or feeling sick, I eventually was cornered into practicing my lines for episode 9 with Charlie. We were sitting on a park table just across from the filming site, scripts in our hands running through the episode together. I felt anxiety bubble up into my chest as we neared the end of the script.

"Julie, I know this could never work with me being a ghost and you being alive. B-but I don't care. You've made me feel more alive than I ever felt when I was actually living. I-I love you Jules, and I want to be with you." Charlie acted out his lines, his intense gaze burning through me, tears brimming in his hazel eyes.

I had to remind myself that we were acting and suppressed the urge to comfort my friend who looked absolutely wrecked over his feelings. Charlie's talent never failed to amaze me.

"I love you, Luke" I responded, putting as much emotion and meaning into my words as possible.

I smiled wide and gave Charlie my best "heart eyes" as he would call it. This was the end of the episode, the part where Luke and Julie kissed. My heart dropped as Charlie leaned towards me. I was about to move back but I could tell he was still in character. His face entered my proximity and I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as his eyes fell on my lips. My heart was nearly beating out of my chest at this point, and I was frozen in equal parts anticipation and fear.

It was then that he scrunched up his face and stuck his tung out, making a "blaaaugh" sound as if he was pretending to throw up on me. That was our thing when we had to film a romantic scene together, it helped ease the tension and became a running joke between us. He then retreated back to where he was originally sitting back on the bench and flashed me a cheeky smile.

I just laughed it off, hoping that it sounded authentic enough to cover the fact that I definitely thought he was about to kiss me. I was so incredibly embarrassed that I made up a quick excuse to go back to my trailer and breathe.

After that "incident", I avoided Charlie like the plague which proved to be very difficult considering almost all of our scenes were together. But between takes I retreated straight to my trailer, sometimes making plans to hang out with Jadah or Jeremy in an effort to make it less obvious.

After a couple of days holding up my charade, Charlie had grown suspicious of my behavior.

"Mads, are you avoiding me?" He asked me directly as I reached the door to my trailer.

We had all walked back from filming a scene for the 8th episode together, but Owen and Jeremy had already gone to their respective trailers.

I stared back at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"What? Psh, no! My dad's just been super on me about-" I stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what my dad would be strict about to make it so I couldn't hang out.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up, both confusion and amusement playing his features. He rocked on his heels, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Alright, well if you're not avoiding me, do you want to work on our song?" He asked and I mentally slapped myself.

I had completely forgotten that Charlie and I had been working on a new song together. We were hoping to release it as a bonus track on the third album. I'd gotten so wrapped up in my feelings that I forgot that we were both really excited about writing another song.

"Yeah, of course." I forced out, knowing that we needed to finish the song if we wanted to be able to record it in time for the album release.

I watched as utter joy stretched across Charlie's face, his eyes squinting as he gave me his best "sunshine" smile.

"Great! Meet in my trailer in 5?" He asked and I took a deep breath, giving him what I hoped was my most convincing smile.

"Sounds good! See you soon." I responded before entering my trailer to change out of my Julie clothes and I made sure to grab our songbook on my way out.

There's no avoiding him now.


	2. Awkward Conversations

I pushed down my impending anxiety as I knocked on Charlie's trailer door. He answered, also having changed into his normal attire. He was wearing a white tee and gray sweatpants, and his hair was tied back with a bandana.

"Hey Mads, come on in!" He beckoned me and I stepped into his trailer as he closed the door behind us.

Charlie was an oddly tidy individual, it always amazed me just how clean he kept his trailer despite our rigorous filming and practice schedule. No wonder living with Owen drove him crazy, the man liked his space to be spotless. Seeing how clean his place was reminded me that I needed to do some organizing myself.

I took my regular seat on Charlie's gray futon, ordained with two red pillows I liked to snuggle. I quickly grabbed the pillow closest to me and hugged it to my chest. Charlie chuckled and smiled at me fondly as he grabbed his guitar and took his place next to me on the futon. I reached over and grabbed our songbook, turning the pages to our song in progress.

We worked on the song for about an hour, and I was in my element. I could almost hear what the song should sound like, but something was missing. I was deep in thought, humming the melody we had been working on while intently writing down a few lyrics in our songbook.

"Mads?" Charlie suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?" I hummed in response, still focusing intently on the task at hand.

Charlie paused for a movement, taking a breath before continuing.

"Why were you avoiding me?" Charlie finally asked, strumming a few chords softly as he waited for her response.

That was something he did often, continue playing while having a conversation. It was as if he couldn't manage to sit still for even a moment, a song always playing in his mind.

It was time to come clean.

I sighed as I set our songbook down and turned to face him, crossing my legs underneath me body to sit more comfortably. I hugged the red pillow even tighter, hoping it would bring me the security that I needed to have this conversation.

Charlie removed his guitar and set it to the side, and I knew I had his full attention.

God, I wasn't ready for this.

"I don't know, I guess I've just been feeling weird about the end of episode 9." I confessed, my eyes avoiding his gaze.

"Do you mean the kiss?" He prompted gently, and I nodded.

"I've been wanting to check in with you to see where you are with all of that. You've seemed freaked out ever since we rehearsed the scene." He said gently and my eyes fell to my lap shyly.

It wasn't that I didn't want to tell him how nervous I was about the whole thing. I was worried that he would take offense or laugh at my fear of kissing him or being kissed in general. I started playing with my hands, picking at my fingers in a desperate attempt to suppress my nerves.

"Mads, you know you can tell me anything. It's okay if you're scared for your first on screen kiss." He encouraged softly.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. My eyes remained glued to my fidgeting fingers.

"It's not just my first on screen kiss." I whispered as my face flushed, praying that he would understand what I meant.

It was silent for a moment as the gears turned in Charlie's head before realization dawned on him.

"Oh..." He finally voiced.

"Yeah..." I responded quietly.

I hated this. I had never felt more inexperienced and exposed than I did in that moment. There was part of me that was surprised that he didn't know I had never kissed anyone, considering how many times I had joked about it with him and the boys. Perhaps he thought I was only joking, rather than pulling from my real life singleness.

"Hey." Charlie said gently, his hand moving to rest on my shoulder.

My eyes met his at the contact, brown meeting hazel.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out." He assured me, a kind smile on his face.

After searching his eyes for any trace of mockery or humor, all I found was undying support and understanding. I finally let myself relax and I returned his smile. It felt like the weight of the situation was being lifted from my shoulders.

"Okay." I replied, and Charlie was quick to grab his guitar again.

We picked up right where we left off, finishing the majority of the song until all that was left was the chorus.

Yes, I still had to kiss him in a week, and yes that would be awkward. But we were in this together, and that thought gave me the comfort I needed to be okay with it.


	3. Friendly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jadah gives Madison some much-needed boy advice.

I spent the weekend with the cast, watching movies and running around downtown Vancouver. The boys somehow always found a way to get us kicked out of local shops, probably the result of them goofing around and accidentally breaking something.

We tried to spend as much time together as possible, since we would all be going back home after the week was over. We were finishing episode eight on Monday and then we would begin filming episode nine on Tuesday and finish up through Friday. Part of me get relieved that we were almost done filming the season, but another part of me felt nostalgic to once again leave this beautiful place and my friends.

Every time I went back home it was like I left a part of me back on set. I wasn't looking forward to the filming withdrawals I was bound to experience when I flew back home. Thankfully, Owen and Charlie said they would come visit me in about a month so I wouldn't have to be too sad about leaving.

Since my conversation with Charlie, I was feeling much better about our inevitable kissing scene. It felt good to know that Charlie understood that this was a hard situation for me and having his support helped give me the encouragement I needed to move forward.

But there was something that was still bothering me about the whole kissing scene, and that was the plain fact that I didn't know how to kiss someone. I had tried kissing the back of my hand for "practice" like the teen magazines I used to read in junior high had coached me. But despite my lack of experience, I knew that the real deal would likely be very different.

I decided to talk to Jadah to see if she had any advise on the situation. I always admired how easily she was able to attract and keep a boyfriend. Meanwhile, I was convinced that whatever internal switch that would attract boys to me was turned off or at least broken. Jadah was also no stranger to on screen kisses after scoring a teen romance movie deal that premiered last summer.

We were sitting outside our trailers on lawn chairs while our parents left to go get lunch, and the boys had left to watch a hockey game. I knew that this was the perfect opportunity for me to get Jadah to dish on all of her boy magic. After very embarrassingly explaining my situation to her, I watched as Jadah's face lit up as if I had just given her a present.

"I know exactly what you need to do!" She exclaimed and I held my finger to my lips in an effort to quiet her.

Despite us being the only two people besides the crew on set, I was worried that someone would eavesdrop on our conversation and spread news of my lack of experience to the whole cast.

"So here's what helped me for my first on screen kiss..." She whispered and I leaned in, eager to get a solution for my dilemma.

"Practice!" She said triumphantly and I shot her a quizzical look.

"How am I supposed to do that? Kissing the back of my hand is not going to translate well-" I stopped mid sentence as Jadah began laughing at me.

I shot her a piercing glare until she stopped, wiping a few tears of joy from her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. You're just too cute! I meant with Charlie, silly!" She explained and I resisted the feeling of bile rising in my throat.

Jadah must have read the disgusted look on my face because she started laughing again.

"Come on Madison! He's your best friend. And it's not like you're going to magically find a boyfriend in the next two weeks to kiss." She declared and her comments earned another glare.

"It doesn't have to be weird! You guys are going to kiss on screen anyways, so you might as well practice before hand to make sure it doesn't look awkward!" Jadah explained herself and I hated to admit it but she was right.

I sighed, hating the whole situation.

"But would Charlie even be okay with that?" I asked more so thinking out loud than asking for an opinion.

"Well the only way to find out is to ask him!" Jadah smirked and I groaned.

Great, another hard conversation with Charlie about kissing.

As if on que, the boys returned from the hockey game. They were all talking and laughing, pushing each other around in excitement.

"How was the game?" Jadah asked them as they approached.

"It was great!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Such a good game!" Jeremy chimed in.

"That last shot-" Owen began.

"I know dude!" Charlie interrupted.

"And then when the goalie-" Jeremy started.

"Insane!" Owen said, laughing in awe.

Jadah and I just sat there watching the boys bounce off one another in conversation, clearly riled up with adrenaline after the game. They were all so adorable when they got excited. I smiled at them before my eyes fell on Charlie.

"Charlie, are you free right now? I had an idea for the chorus for our song that I wanted to run by you." I lied, needing an excuse to get him away from the others without making my intentions obvious.

Charlie's smile grew wider and he nodded.

"Awesome, yeah! I can't wait to hear it." He said enthusiastically.

We said our goodbyes to the rest of the group, Jadah giving her a thumbs up and a silent "you got this" as we walked away. Charlie made a move towards my trailer and I shook my head, knowing my dad would be back from lunch soon. I would rather die than have my dad walk into me talking to Charlie about kissing.

"Actually, can we go to your trailer? My dad will be back soon and I want the song to be a surprise when he first hears it." I explained quickly.

"Sure, okay." Charlie nodded and we walked over to his trailer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you guys like these chapters, there's more coming soon. Please let me know what you think in the comments!


	4. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison asks Charlie if they can practice their kiss.

The moment we were inside, we both took their usual spots on his gray futon. I realized that I didn't even have a notepad or anything that my supposed chorus was supposed to be on. Charlie had grabbed his guitar, his pick resting in his mouth as he sat down next to me and strummed a few chords.

"Okay, show me what you've got." He prompted, his Canadian accent peeking through.

I was internally cringing at myself, searching my brain desperately for a chorus to fill the silence I created.

"Mads?" He finally asked after a long pause.

"Hm? Oh, right." I was taken out of my thoughts and took a deep breath.

"I don't have a chorus." I revealed suddenly and he looked at me, confusion plain on his face.

"Okayyyy. Then why did you say you had it?" He asked gently.

"I don't know, I just need to talk to you about something." I mumbled, staring at the wall of his trailer.

"What do you need to talk about?" He asked, reading that I was nervous so he removed his guitar and turned to face me despite my eyes being glued to his dark wallpaper.

This wasn't like the last talk, what I needed to ask him was somehow even more embarrassing then revealing that I had never kissed anyone before. What if he outwardly rejected me? What if he said I was being ridiculous to suggest that we practice our kiss?

I hadn't realized that I had fallen silent again, my thoughts loud as my mind ran rampant with anxiety.

"Is it about the kiss?" He finally asked, presumably because he had only seen me react this way to the topic of our kissing scene.

I nodded, my face flushing with embarrassment.

"What about it?" He prompted, and I could feel his eyes surveying me.

More silence. I wished that he could just read my mind because the words were caught in my throat.

"Mads." He pushed, his hand reaching out to rest on the side of my chin before gently turning my face towards him. 

"What's going on?" He asked softly, his eyes meeting mine and I finally broke.

I let out a long exasperated sigh as my face fell in my hands.

"Ugh, it's so stupid. It's just, I'm worried that I'm not going to do a good job and mess up our kiss and it's going to be awkward and look terrible and the fans are going to hate it and-" I began rambling, letting out all the thoughts that had been tormenting me the past couple of weeks.

"Hey hey hey, slow down." Charlie chuckled, placing his hands on my shoulders.

I stopped dead in my tracks, the rest of my ramble forgotten as I realized what I just revealed.

I looked at him sheepishly, wishing I could just disappear into myself.

"First of all, it's pretty hard to be bad at kissing unless you are deliberately trying to be bad. And second, no matter what happens it's going to look great and the fans are going to love it." He reassured me and I took a deep breath as my stomach flipped in knots.

My eyes fell to my lap again, and I could tell that Charlie was scanning my face as he desperately tried to figure out what was going on.

He was used to the bold and funny girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. But right now, I was shy and timid and I didn't feel much like myself.

"Is there something else?" He pressed and I bit my lip as I looked back up at him.

"Well... I was talking to Jadah about how I was nervous and she said that sometimes it helps if the actors practice the kiss beforehand." I rushed out before squeezing my eyes shut so I couldn't see his reaction.

It was silent for an uncomfortably long moment before he chuckled again.

"Madison, it's okay you can open your eyes." He assured me and I finally opened my brown doe eyes.

"If you wanted to practice the kiss, why didn't you just say so?" He said as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

I suppose it made sense, considering he has kissed multiple people on camera so he probably had the most experience in the realm of staging kisses.

I found my confidence again, his casualness helping wash the tension I was feeling.

I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder.

"Because that would mean that you would be my first real kiss, you idiot!" I exasperated and then understanding washed over his face.

"Mads, if this is not how you want your first kiss to go down, we don't have to do it. We can talk to Kenny and figure it out." He offered seriously, but I shook my head.

"No it's okay, I want this for our characters and for our fans. Even though it's weird, I don't mind you being my first kiss." I revealed and then we sat there in heavy silence.

"Well if I'm going to be your first kiss, then I want it to be special. How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow and we'll do something fun, then we'll go from there?" Charlie suggested, and I nodded.

"That sounds good to me!" I beamed, happy that we were able to have this talk and happy that my kissing problem would soon be fixed.

"Also, Mads? Don't ever be afraid to just tell me what you're thinking. I'm never going to judge you, I just want to help." He said sincerely, his eyes shining with the intensity of his words as he grabbed my hand.

"Okay, thank you." I smiled back at him, thankful to have such an amazing friend in my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Thank you for the kudos and support. There are more chapters to come soon :) Let me know what y'all think!


	5. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie takes Madison out on a friendly date.

We spent the next morning filming the opening scenes of episode 9 and then we had band practice for our final musical number of the series that we would perform for a live audience onset later on in the week. By the time we were done in the afternoon, I was so exhausted that once I got back to my trailer, I immediately collapsed on my purple fluffy beanbag chair.

My limbs were jelly, my body heavy with my increasing need for sleep. I took what I expected to be a short nap, but instead I found myself waking at 5:00 pm. My impending anxiety defied my body's tiredness and woke me up, reminding me that I had plans later tonight that I needed to wake for.

I shot straight up in my beanbag, nearly falling out of it as I took in my surroundings and came back to earth. My eyes struggled to focus on my clock but then I felt panic seize me as I realized that I only had an hour to get ready for my date with Charlie.

I stumbled over to my closet, searching frantically for the right thing to wear. It didn't really matter, it was just Charlie. It wasn't as if he hadn't taken me on friend dates before, as there were lots of fun things to do in Canada that Charlie wanted to share with me.

Tonight felt different however, because there was a purpose for tonight outside of just two friends enjoying each other's company. Tonight I would have my first kiss. _With Charlie._ I reminded myself but I quickly shook the thought out of my head.

I couldn't dwell on the fact that my best friend was about to be my first kiss or else I would likely vomit. Although, weirdness aside, if there were someone that I trusted to share this experience with it would be Charlie.

I couldn't help but be thankful to have such a great friend in my life, one that was willing to make my first kiss special. I wished that every girl could have a friend like Charlie. He was loyal, supportive, and above all passionate about making sure everyone he loves is okay.

I settled on changing into the black dress that I had worn during our perfect harmony performance and paired it with some Air Force 1 sneakers. I left my curls as they were, and I wore my favorite pair of ghost earrings that I had made myself. I did my signature eyeliner and put on some chapstick.

I looked at myself in the mirror, trying not to overthink what was about to happen. I couldn't help but be excited that I would finally have my first kiss, but then nerves started to seep into my thoughts. I had no idea what I was doing. Was there a correct moment to kiss? Am I supposed to lean in, or do I just wait for him to come to me? What do I do with my hands? Hell, what do I do with my lips?

I was beginning to spiral when a heard a knock at my trailer door. I jumped in surprise, but I recovered quickly as I grabbed my purse, throwing in the chapstick for good measure, before opening the door.

There was Charlie, clad in a button-up dress shirt and dark jeans. I could tell that he had made an unsuccessful attempt to style his 90s bob styled hair to look more modern. He smiled wide when he saw me.

"Hey, Mads! You look beautiful, as always. Love the dress." He said with a wink and I snickered.

I stepped out of the trailer, standing beside him when I suddenly felt awkward. The intention for the night felt like it was written in the air between us. There was a moment of silence before he cleared his throat and offered his arm to me.

"Shall we madam?" He offered in a poorly executed British accent.

Immediately the tension was broken and I felt a smile creep onto my face, mirroring his own.

"Lead the way, kind sir." I replied, my fake British accent equally as offensive as I curtsied before taking his arm.

We laughed as we walked to his car. Like the gentleman he was, Charlie opened the door for me as I got into his car. He drove us to an Italian restaurant, a place we often went to so he knew it was my favorite. We spent dinner talking about the day, I told Charlie about Jadah and I sneaking away while he was filming and hiding in various places on set to scare the crew. Charlie was revealing his devious plans to get back at Owen before filming ended.

Charlie and Owen were in the middle of a prank war, and both had become increasingly creative as it went on. Charlie's attack involved 500 little rubber ducks that he planned to place on every square inch of their apartment and a giant inflatable rubber duck which would be the grand finale in Owen's bedroom. I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that even after all these years, we all still maintained our child-like charm.

I pushed down the impending feeling of nostalgia at the realization that I would be moving back to Pennsylvania soon. Charlie must have noticed the shift in my mood because he reached his hand out to me, which I took with no hesitation.

"I always hate this time of filming. Having to say goodbye to everyone... I'm gonna miss you, Mads." He said, smiling softly but I could see the sadness behind his expression.

His eyes were shining with the sincerity of his words. I nodded, feeling my own eyes tear up at the thought of leaving my friends.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Charlie." I gave him a sad smile and then he perked back up.

"Hey, let's not worry about that right now. Tonight's about having fun! I'm taking you somewhere cool after this." Charlie revealed and I felt my nervous excitement about the night return.

We finished our food and I managed to pay for the meal while Charlie was in the bathroom. This was much to his dismay, and he looked like a kicked puppy when he found out.

"Maaaads, I'm supposed to pay for the meal because I'm taking you on a date..." He whined, his bottom lip puffed up in a pout.

I laughed it off, getting up from my seat and putting my purse back on.

"You're such a big baby, if you're paying for whatever we are doing after then I'm paying for dinner. I've done my share so you better hold up your end of the bargain." I smiled and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Fine." He admitted defeat, standing up and joining me as we left the restaurant and when I moved towards his car when he stopped me.

"Where I'm taking you is actually just a short walk down this street, follow me." He revealed as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

We talked about our fans and the Julie and the Phantoms posts we had seen that day as we ventured deeper into downtown Vancouver. I got lost in my excitement towards how the fans already loved the season 3 trailer, hopeful that this season was going to be another hit. That's when I saw it, a beautiful glass dome that was changing colors in the distance. I could see figures inside and that seemed to be gliding. 

Charlie was bouncing beside me excitedly as we approached the building. Once we reached the building Charlie jumped out in front of me.

"Welcome to Robson Square Ice Rink!" He exclaimed, fanning his hands out as if to say "ta-da".

I smiled wide for his sake but internally my stomach dropped. Despite the beauty of the building I had once again landed myself in a compromising position.

I was the world's worst ice skater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! I apologize for the delay, I tried to give y'all a longer update while I work on the last couple of chapters of this story. Thanks for the support and engagement, let me know what you think in the comments! 
> 
> -m


	6. Robson Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie takes Madison ice skating.

Charlie was well aware of just how bad I was at ice skating, he had learned from the time he had taken Owen, Jeremy, and I while filming our first season together. Charlie was an amazing skater as he had played hockey growing up, so he was skating circles around the three of us. After thirty minutes, Owen was starting to get the hang of it. On the other hand, Jeremy and I remained stumbling and struggling while using the ice skating walkers.

I remember Charlie had somehow convinced me to ditch the walker, and he held my hands in his as he skated backward. I had struggled to maintain my balance as he kept going faster and faster. I was begging him to slow down but he kept encouraging me to keep going.

"Pretend I'm Luke and you're Julie. Trust me." Charlie had said, looking at me intently with a comforting smile.

Even though it had been three years since then, the memory still felt like it was just yesterday. Back when we were all new to each other, bonding over the crazy experience of starting a tv show. We never could have imagined how the show would blow up, and all of the amazing opportunities and experiences we have had because of it.

Charlie's voice brought me out of my flashback.

"I know the last time I took you ice skating, you were a little scared but I thought it would be fun to try again! Especially now that we know each other better, and I thought it would be kind of cool to like... Come full circle, ya know?" He struggled over his words, and I could tell he was worried he had disappointed me.

I pushed down my discomfort and opened myself to the opportunity of having fun despite my terrible skating skills.

"It's perfect. Let's go!" I smiled, grabbing his hand and weaving through the crowds of Vancouver to get to the booth in front of the ice rink.

Charlie chatted with the guy working the booth, paying for our wristbands, and then we gave them our shoe sizes and they handed us our ice skates.

We sat on the side of the ice rink and placed our shoes in cubbies before strapping on our skates. Charlie glanced down at my skates and smiled fondly.

"You've got to wear them tighter than that, you goof. Here." He chuckled as he knelt in front of me and helped me tighten my skates properly.

I laughed it off, giving him a quick thanks as he stood up and held both of his hands out to me to help me up.

I took a deep breath, willing myself not to think and to just do. I took his hands and shakily rose to my feet.

"Have you skated since we went a couple of years ago?" He asked with amusement in his eyes as I tried to mask the terror on my face.

"Yes?" I said unconvincingly and he laughed.

I went to punch his shoulder but almost slipped in the process, stumbling slightly and I was very thankful that Charlie was standing in front of me to catch me.

"Okay sure, we'll warm you back up then." He said with humor in his voice and I wanted to smack the grin off his face but I couldn't risk another fall.

He looked behind him to check if anyone was coming, and then he pushed backward, causing me to glide forward as we entered the rink. I was thankful it wasn't a super busy night, which meant there were fewer human obstacles for me to run into.

"Remember to push your feet outwards, one at a time, but don't lift your feet." He coached me as he began skating backward, just as he had many years ago, both of my hands gripping onto his for dear life.

"Okay." I said more shakily than I intended, moving my feet outwards as we slowly skated around the rink.

"Good! See, you've gotten better." He encouraged me, and his smile was contagious.

My chest inflated at the compliment, and I felt my confidence returning as I mirrored the movements of his skates. I heard him chuckle and my head shot up.

"What?" I voiced shyly, my confidence retreating.

"You're so focused." He commented simply and I rolled my eyes.

"Well I'm sorry, not all of us grew up ice skating sir." I said sarcastically and he laughed.

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing." He smiled, and then he picked up his speed.

I felt my heart rate spike as I tried to keep up with him, our connected hands being my saving grace as I willed myself not to panic.

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie-" I rushed out, my eyes wide as each small movement of my feet had a bigger impact now that we were going fast.

One mistake and my face would hit the ice beneath me.

"Mads, look at me." He said seriously and my frantic eyes and met his calm and inviting gaze. 

I felt like I was reliving the first time we did this, and the memory seemed to surface in his eyes as a comforting smile spread across his face.

"Trust me." He soothed and there was so much meaning behind his words.

He was asking me to trust him to keep skating, to trust him as a friend, and to trust him to be my first kiss.

I took a deep breath, our eyes still locked and I nodded as a rush of calm washed over me.

"I trust you." I told him sincerely, giving his hands a light squeeze.

He smiled and slowly moved so that he was skating at my side. I was about to panic again when he nodded encouragingly.

"It's okay, just keep going." He pushed and I did as he said.

Gliding my feet side to side, keeping up with the steady pace that Charlie had set. His left hand stayed clasped in my right hand to offer me stability as we skated laps around the rink.

I was amazed that I hadn't fallen, and that movement was beginning to feel natural on the ice. I became hyperaware of my surroundings, as I was no longer worried about my fumbling feet. The ice was glowing blue and purple from the lights above us, the air was crisp and refreshing, and Ellie Goulding's "My Blood" was playing softly in the arena.

It felt like a moment aside from time, a separate universe where I was living at full speed, facing the risks that came with life head-on. I felt truly invincible, like I could take on the world.

My eyes then drifted upwards to the glass dome covering the ice rink. The windows of the ceiling were cut to look like crystals, illuminated by both the ice and the purple and blue lights throughout the rink.

"Mads, watch out!" Charlie suddenly voiced, his hand tugging me towards him as I narrowly missed hitting another person.

The force of his pull caused me to crash into him and we both went toppling onto the ice. Charlie quickly maneuvered us so that I was pressed into his chest so that he could take the brunt of the impact. He grunted as we landed, and I quickly scrambled up to my knees as I surveyed him.

"Oh my gosh Charlie, are you okay?" I helped him get to a sitting position and he rubbed his head as he smiled.

"I'm fine, nothing that hasn't happened before." He chuckled and I remembered we had ended up in this exact position when we had skated last time.

I couldn't help but smile, humor in my tone.

"This is what you get for taking me skating. You knew the risk." I joked and he laughed.

His laugh was contagious and I began laughing too. There we were in the middle of the ice, definitely getting in the way of the other skaters, laughing like two idiots.

There was no place I'd rather be.

Once our laugh attack had subsided, Charlie stood up and then helped me to do the same.

"Alright, I think it's time for us to get back before you give me a concussion." He jabbed teasingly and I scrunched my nose at him.

"I'm sure I'll find another way." I shot back and his laughter rumbled through him.

"Alright dork, it's getting late anyway. Let's head out." He nodded towards the exit.

We skated over and changed back into our shoes, it felt weird to be walking again after gliding for so long. I was still adjusting when Charlie wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"I was thinking we could end off the night with a movie at my place? Owen is hanging with Jeremy and Carolynn tonight." He suggested and I was reminded of the purpose for tonight.

"Sure." I sounded level headed, but I was anything other than that.

Right. The kiss. My first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! I'm feeling very inspired to write right now so I'm cranking out chapters. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, these two are just too cute! I watched an interview where they talked about going ice skating while filming season 1 and I just had the write about it. Let me know what y'all think! 💕
> 
> \- m


	7. First Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madison has her first kiss.

I tried my hardest to not feel awkward as we drove back to Charlie's apartment. It really helped that he was blasting high school musical and was singing it at the top of his lungs. I joined in, willing myself to not think about what would come and instead live in the moment.

Once we parked, Charlie kept the conversation going as we made it up to his apartment. He must have sensed my unease because the constant talking made me more comfortable and gave me less time to overthink.

He set his keys down on the counter and then ran and jumped on the couch with a loud exasperated sigh.

"You weirdo." I laughed as he stretched out over the couch.

He then got into a normal sitting position and pat the space next to him. I went over and sat beside him as he grabbed the remote and began scrolling through Netflix.

"How about we watch... Teen Titans?" Charlie offered and my face lit up.

I nodded eagerly, as it was my favorite show growing up. No matter how many times I watched it, the show never got old. Robin was my first crush after all.

Charlie found Teen Titans and started playing it from the beginning, stretching out his arm to rest behind me. Since I was so accustomed to Charlie's affectionate nature I easily settled into my spot on the couch, gently leaning my head on his shoulder.

We watched a couple of episodes, making fun of some of the cheesy lines and talking about our favorite characters. I prayed that he couldn't hear my erratic heartbeat, my anticipation growing as the night went on.

After all the activities I had partaken in that day, I would have expected myself to be exhausted.   
Instead I was wired, hyperaware of my every movement and trying to predict when it would happen.

I think Charlie could tell that I was zoning out and nervous because he paused the show.

"Are you okay, Mads?" He asked softly and I bit my lip and nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine, just getting tired that's all." I lied, hoping it was convincing enough to derail him from my nerves.

"Madison... I have a serious question for you." He said, turning to face me.

I followed suit, mirroring him as I met his determined gaze.

"Are you sure that you want me to be your first kiss?" He asked honestly and I thought about it for a moment.

I searched my mind for any ounce of doubt about the situation and came up empty.

"Yes, I'm sure." I answered sincerely.

He nodded and fell silent, and I could tell he was thinking something over in his head.

"You can do it now if you want." I offered, unsure where this confidence was coming from.

Somehow it felt easier demanding a kiss then waiting for one.

Charlie's eyes flickered to my own, and then he reached for me, his hand coming to rest gently on my cheek.

He began to close in on me, leaning in as his eyes drifted down to my lips. I expected myself to be aquatinted with him being in close proximity at this point. However, he was only ever this close to my face when we were acting and he was Luke and I was Julie. But this wasn't Luke, this was Charlie and he wasn't acting.

It suddenly all seemed too weird and I shied away, turning my head as a giggle erupted from my throat.

Charlie laughed.

"What are you doing?" He asked, amusement in his voice.

As my giggle fit calmed and I regained control over my breathing, I shook my head.

"Sorry, sorry. That was just weird. Okay, I'm ready." I asserted and his hand returned to its former position as he began to lean in.

I leaned up slightly to meet him, but just as he was inches from my mouth, I erupted into another giggle fit.

This one was stronger than the last and had me doubled over, practically in his lap as I laughed my head off.

"Maaadison." He whined and I regained my composure, wiping a few stray tears from my eyes.

Once I was able to get a good look at him I could see that he was pouting slightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Okay, now I'm ready for real." I declared and he wasted no time, taking both sides of my face in his hands.

"Be serious, you dork!" He said shaking his head, humor in his eyes.

With both of his hands secure on my face, I didn't really have anywhere to go this time. There was no escaping the inevitable now.

"Okay, I'm serious." I said, giving him my best serious face.

Charlie's eyes met my own with an intensity I've only ever seen when he was writing music or learning a new song.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, his voice quieter than it had been before.

"I trust you." I whispered back.

That's when his eyes fell to my lips again and he leaned forward. His strong hands on the sides of my face gently drew me to up him. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as my eyes fluttered shut and his lips pressed against mine.

My skin tingled at the new sensation of another person's lips on my own. It was very gentle, intimate, and sweet. His lips moved slowly against mine, and I was surprised when I mirrored his actions, my body seeming to know what to do. He held the kiss for a lingering moment before he carefully pulled back, and surveyed my response.

My entire face flushed, and I brought my hands up to my face in an attempt to hide it.

"You okay?" Charlie mused, his concern over my reaction turning into an ego boost.

"That was weird." I spoke quickly, shaking my head as if that would drain the color from my face. 

He snorted.

"Weird good or weird bad?" He questioned, clearly enjoying my flustered state and I wanted to sass him back into humility.

I took a deep breath, my eyes finally lifting to meeting his.

"Weird good." I finally replied, and I couldn't bare to stare at that smug smile for a moment longer.

"Ugh, don't look at me!" I covered my face with my hands then buried my face into his chest.

Charlie laughed, the sound echoing against my cheek as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm glad I didn't mess it up. I take it you had a good first kiss then?" He asked and I wanted to smack him because he already knew the answer.

I nodded into his chest and he laughed again as he gently rubbed my back.

"Good, I'm glad." He sighed in what I assumed to be relief.

"Thank you for today..." I said quietly, not ready to face him yet so I kept my face squished against his shirt.

"You're welcome, Mads. I'd do anything for you, you know that." He said, quoting Luke from the first season of Julie and the Phantoms.

I smiled into his chest, suddenly feeling heavy from all of the exertion of the day. Charlie and I had adjusted so that he was laying with his back on the couch, and I was laying on top of him with my head on his chest.

"I know..." I slurred, feeling so comfortable and safe in my friend's arms.

The weight was lifted, all the anxiety and worry that I had accumulated over the past couple of months over my first kiss had all dissolved. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, it was actually sweet and sort of perfect.

As I laid there surrounded by Charlie's warmth and support, I cherished this moment I was able to share with him as I easily fell asleep.


	8. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band performs their final number of the season.

We had to wake up early the next morning to get back to set to film our musical finale of the season. It was going to be a very physically and emotionally demanding day.

Charlie woke up before I did and reluctantly detangled himself from me on the couch as Owen ordered him to help him with breakfast. I was awoken by Owen snapping orders at Charlie who was fumbling to try and help him cook. I yawned and stretched as I sat up.

"There she is!" Owen announced with a smile, wearing a cupcake apron that Jeremy had bought him as a joke.

"Good morning sleepy head." Charlie teased as he walked over to me and ruffled my already unruly curls.

I groaned sleepily as I rubbed my eyes.

"I got the cutest picture of you and Charlie this morning, I sent it in the group chat. Kenny said he's going to get it framed." Owen informed me with a laugh.

I picked up my phone that I had left on the table next to the couch. I saw that our cast group chat had over twenty messages this morning. I opened the messages to see the picture that Owen had taken this morning.

Charlie and I were cuddled up together on the couch, my back pressed to Charlie's chest as his larger form enveloped my own. His arm draped lazily over my waist and his other arm acted as a pillow for my head. Both of my hands were holding onto the arm underneath my head and nuzzling into it as if it were a teddy bear. We looked so peaceful. Owen was right, we looked adorable.

Owen had captioned our photo "look at these two" and Jeremy responded in all caps "JUKE IS REAL". Kenny loved the image and texted "I'm getting that framed!", Savannah sent heart eyes, and Jadah messaged "#teamjuke".

I couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions, shaking my head as I placed my phone in my back pocket and headed over to the kitchen counter.

They had three barstools lining the counter and I took a seat on the one furthest away from the popping grease of the bacon Owen was currently cooking.

"Sleep well?" Charlie asked, but I could see the hints of a smirk on his lips and I rolled my eyes.

"According to the photo of us, we both slept like rocks." I retorted, and then I turned my attention to Owen.

"Thanks for taking a photo, that was really cute." I smiled at him and he nodded.

Charlie dramatically made his way over to me, wrapping his arms around me in a hug and squeezing me tightly.

"We're just too cute!" He bragged jokingly, and I struggled to get out of his crushing embrace.

I eventually managed to push him off me, both of us laughing.

"Correction, Madison is cute. You, sir, look and smell like a wet rat." Owen jabbed and Charlie's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Hey!" Charlie pouted as I laughed.

"We've got to keep him humble." Owen winked at me as he handed me my breakfast.

I nodded in agreement before diving into my breakfast.

"Not you too, Mads!" Charlie exasperated but I was too focused on eating to pay mind to his drama.

Once we finished our breakfast, we stopped back at my apartment so I could change into new clothes before we headed to set. I just threw on some sweats and a baggy t-shirt since I knew we would be wearing our performance attire for most of the day.

We went straight to hair and makeup when we got there, and the crew quickly got to work. My hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that turned into a braid, and they placed various beads and glittery extensions in my hair to add to the look.

The makeup team gave me a smoky purple eyeshadow look, adding rhinestones at the corners of my eyes right above my cheekbones. After mascara and eyeliner, they finished off with a neutral lipgloss.

I peered back at myself in the mirror impressed at their work. The look was very Julie, yet also more grown-up which was fitting. I then made my way to the wardrobe department where they dressed me in a black dress with purple and blue accents. It reminded me of Lady Gaga's style because there were pieces of the dress purposefully sticking out towards my right shoulder and then at my left hip.

Once I was all dressed and ready to go, I made my way to the stage where we were going to perform. The boys arrived shortly after, Jeremy dressed in a purple button-down shirt with leather pants and Owen was wearing a white shirt and navy bow tie with dark purple jeans.

Charlie was dressed in black jeans, a white shirt that looked like it had been splattered with blue and purple paint, and then a long black leather coat with blue accents. In true Luke fashion, the coat was (of course) sleeveless.

We all looked at one another in awe, admiring our characters looks in the final performance of the season. Kenny approached us excitedly and gave us the rundown for filming the performance. We had practiced it almost a thousand times by that point, so all that was left was to film it while going all out.

And we did exactly that. We sang our hearts out, feeding off the energy of the crowd and each other. I was bouncing around the stage, and then the song was drawing to a close.

_Luke approached Julie, singing the last few lines as he entered her space. The intensity and purpose of his gaze burned through her, the mic serving as the only barrier between their lips._

_Julie could feel her heartbeat quicken, electricity coursing through her veins as she batted her eyes at him, welcoming him._

_His eyes fell on her lips, and he lowered the mic as they leaned impossibly closer to one another. Just another inch and they would be kissing, and Julie's eyes fluttered shut in anticipation._

_Suddenly the crowd erupted, and the two froze, remembering that they were in front of an audience._

_Luke backed away carefully, flashing a bashful smile, and looking at Julie as if she were the only person in the world. Julie just beamed back at him as they linked hands with the rest of the band and bowed._

"Annnnd CUT!" Kenny called and we all snapped back into reality.

We all rushed into a group hug, proud of our performance and cherishing the feeling of playing together on set. We weren't sure if there would be another tour for this season, so we treated each performance together like our last.

I went around giving high fives to all the boys, but when I reached Charlie I could sense that something was off.

"Everything okay?" I asked him discretely, not wanting to cause widespread alarm.

He was still smiling but I could tell that he was deep in thought.

"Can we talk later?" He asked.

I nodded, worried that I had somehow done something to upset him during our performance.

"Yeah, of course!" I replied and he let out a breath.

"Cool. I'll-uh... swing by after I get out of all this and shower and stuff. Shouldn't take me long." He told me and I nodded as my worry grew.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." We then parted ways as we headed back to our trailers.

What had I done?


	9. Episode 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie needs to talk to Madison, and they film the dreaded “Episode 9”.

I changed out of my Julie attire and took a quick shower. Even though the hair team had tried to get all of the glitter out of my hair, I had a feeling I would be finding specs glitter on my pillows for months. I braided my wet hair into French braids on either side of my head and changed back into my sweats and t-shirt.

As if on cue, I heard a knock at my trailer door. My stomach dropped as I remembered that Charlie wanted to talk, and my worry returned as I searched my memory for anything that could have upset him.

I opened the door to see Charlie, standing with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a muscle tee and joggers and his wet hair has held back by a red headband. Despite his smile and looking relatively calm, I could tell that he was nervous. I knew by the way he was rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Hey, come on in!" I said as I motioned for him to enter. I went over to my purple beanbag chair and plopped down onto it. Charlie took a seat on a white fluffy stool I used as a chair for my desk when working on schoolwork. He brought the stool over so that it was right next to where I was.

"What's up, Charlie?" I finally asked, realizing that he hadn't said a word yet which was very unlike him.

I was about to panic when he finally cleared his throat.

"So I was thinking... Today when we were singing together at the end of the performance, things between Luke and Julie got a bit... Intense." He said as he shifted in his seat.

I nodded, watching him intently and trying to determine what was going on.

"Well, it made me realize that our kiss scene tomorrow will probably be more intense." He continued, and I was at a loss.

"Yeah, I know." I said, confusion all over my face as he paused to find the right words.

"But that means that the kiss will be a bit different than the one we had last night..." He explained and I tilted my head slightly.

"What do you mean different?" I asked as I took note of his bouncing leg.

"I mean- it's going to be more passionate, ya know? And I wanted to talk to you about it first so that it doesn't freak you out." He revealed and it finally made sense.

Our kiss the night before was short and sweet. After all the seasons of pent up tension, I would imagine that Julie and Luke would really go at it when they kissed. I didn't know how to "go at it" but I was sure I'd figure it out.

"So I wanted to see if you wanted to practice staging the kiss for tomorrow? Like as Julie and Luke, so that we know what to expect." He explained and I knew he was doing this more for my sake than his own.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." I nodded, my initial fear of kissing gone, but the idea of doing it in front of the whole cast and crew still spiked my nerves.

He suddenly stood up and I looked at him in question.

"Julie and Luke are standing when they kiss." He laughed and I rose to stand.

"Oh yeah, right." I said awkwardly.

Despite having kissed him before, the kiss we shared was simple and platonic. A kiss between Julie and Luke would be passionate and intense. I didn't know if I was ready for that.

He took a deep breath.

"Okay, so it'll help if we act through this. You need to be Julie and think of me as Luke." He instructed me and I nodded.

"I'm Julie, you're Luke." I repeated, and then the look in his eyes changed and I could tell he had made the switch.

_"Julie..." Luke breathed, taking a step closer to close the distance between them._

_Julie looked up at him, his own adoration reflected in her own eyes. Her hands rose to rest on his chest as they slowly inched closer to one another._

_"Luke..." she whispered, her eyes falling to his lips._

_She could feel the heat radiating between them._

_It felt as if there was a string drawn tight, ready to snap. They'd spent years dancing around their relationship. After many misunderstandings and fights. Every performance they shared led to this moment between them._

_Without warning Luke crashed his lips to Julie's, his hands cupping her face. Julie was surprised momentarily but then kissed him back just as feverishly. Her hands moved from gripping his arms to tangling in his hair._

_Luke's hands were secure on her jaw, leading the kiss as he tilted her head back for better access. Julie made a small squeak at the adjustment, relishing in the bliss that was kissing Luke Patterson._

_Then he pulled away all too soon, both of them breathing heavily as their eyes reflected all of the emotions they had just revealed._

Charlie looked away momentarily and cleared his throat again. I was brought back to reality, still trying to get my breathing under control and still dazed from the kiss.

"Yep. That was it." Charlie said with a laugh, breaking any awkward tension that threatened to rise in the room.

I laughed in response.

"Yeah it was." I nodded, as my eyes drifted to my feet.

That was a lot to take in. Being kissed like that was intense, and especially when viewing it from Julie's perspective. It felt as if Luke's waves of emotions had crashed into her own, threatening to drown her.

I paused.

That's it!

"I think I just figured out the chorus to our song!" I suddenly announced and his eyes widened, as did his smile.

"Seriously?" He asked excitedly and I nodded.

He quickly grabbed his guitar and we spent the rest of the night finalizing our song. It was perfect timing considering we needed to pitch it to Kenny in the next couple of days if we wanted it to be a bonus track on the third album. I felt giddy with excitement by the time we were done, and I knew that the fans were going to love it.

-

The cameras were on us and the set lights were shinning hot above us. It was time to film the very last scene of season 3, and I felt myself already getting emotional about the sentiment of it.

It was just Charlie and I, we had already had our last scene as a group earlier that day which ended in a pile of sobbing actors. Everyone was feeling sad that the season was practically over, that the fun and craziness of filming was coming to a close. There was always the possibility that we wouldn't be renewed for another season, so we had to assume each time that this could be the last time we get to do this.

I could tell Charlie was feeling the same way as I was by the way he swallowed hard, trying to keep his emotions at bay. I gave him a tight hug, hoping to boost his spirits. He sighed and hugged me back.

"I know." I voiced.

"Yeah." He said sadly.

"Okay everyone, are we ready to film the final scene of season 3 of Julie and the Phantoms?" Kenny announced and everyone cheered.

I pulled away from Charlie and gave him a thumbs-up as we both took our places in the scene.

I took a deep breath, all of my previous fears gone and replaced with confidence and gratitude.

I would nail my first on-screen kiss. Charlie was here with me, and that's all I needed.

"ACTION!"

_"Julie, I know this could never work... I know that I'm dead and that you deserve better," Luke started his speech, Charlie having altered the script in the moment._

_He took Julie's hands in his own, his eyes never leaving her face as she looked from their joined hands up to him._

_"But Jules, you've made me feel more alive than I ever felt when I was actually living. No music compares to how I feel about you." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze as her eyes filled with tears._

_"I love you, Julie..." he declared, tears brimming in his own eyes._

_Julie could feel tears streaming down her face, her heart swelling at his words. Luke reached out a hand and gently wiped away a tear. Her own hands reached out to touch his face, as tears spilled out onto his own cheeks._

_There was so much love and hope in Luke's eyes, and Julie held back a sob as she inched closer._

_"Luke, I love you-" Julie was cut off as Luke brought her into a bruising kiss._

_They poured all of their emotions into this kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as his hands found her waist. His grip on her tightened as she pulled him closer, clutching the collar of his_ _flannel_ _._

_They were always in rhythm. Push and pull, give and take. Just like when they sang together and wrote music together. Julie and Luke were connected by their very souls and they finally gave into that._

_By the time they pulled away they were both smiling like idiots, laughing lightly as they wiped the others tears._

_Luke held his hand out to her, and she gladly placed her hand in his. They walked together, happiness radiating off of them like the sun as they went to join the others._

"Aaannd CUT!" Kenny yelled and we broke character.

Charlie pulled me in for another hug as the tears returned.

We did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyooooo! We made it to the final chapter 🎉 I had so much fun writing this and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you all for reading and support this story and stay tuned for more JATP content! 💕 
> 
> \- m


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